Do you believe in hauntings? Can a building or place retain/absorb the essence or energy of the deceased? If yes, have you considered the notion that energy can also be absorbed or imprinted upon an object too? After all, what is a building if not a large physical object. If you have a treasured piece of jewellery, maybe a family heirloom, might you be tempted to return to care for it; or remain with it, even in death?

My name is Jayne Harris, and I have been studying cases of Spirit Attachment for over 17 years. It started as a desperate need for proof of the afterlife. At age 17, my family was struck with tragedy and loss. I lost count of how many psychic mediums I visited during the months that followed; and while I gained some comfort, I was always left wanting more. My knowledge of the paranormal at this point was limited, but very quickly I began to realize that the spirit world was a place I wanted to reach, explore and understand.

Fast forward 17 years and I find myself, as I do most days, sitting in my study with a variety of special objects, an array of paranormal gadgets and gizmos, asking the all too familiar question, “Is there anybody there?”. You see my organisation, HD Paranormal Research Ltd, do just that. We research suspected cases of paranormal activity in association with objects, technically known as Spirit Attachment (or know by Hollywood as Haunted Objects).

Inevitably, we encounter a whole range of items including dolls, possibly due to their physical human representation. They seem to draw the attention of those spirits who wish to remain in our world, but also it's my belief that over time children animate their favourite toys. They breathe life into them through their imaginations and the energy they transfer. At this point there will be a portion of you who have images of Chucky from Childs Play running through your mind, or possibly the recently popularized Annabelle doll. I should point out that the reality of owning paranormally active dolls and objects is far less frightening, and we find overwhelmingly, as in cases of haunted houses, that most cases can either be explained rationally, or in terms of residual energy. Simply an imprint, which can be picked up through Psychometry allowing those with intuition to give details of it's previous owner.

When I began communicating with spirits, I soon realized that just as there are different types of hauntings (e.g. residual energy vs. intelligent hauntings), there are different types of spirit attachment. Some cases, in fact, are not attachment at all, but residual energy existing in the same field as an object. These cases often come about when a heightened level of emotion causes an item to become ‘charged’ with an everlasting imprint, in the same way The Stone Tape theory suggests that buildings absorb energy. Have you ver looked at an old painting or held a piece of jewellery and got a bad feeling from it. Or a sensation of not being alone?

The cases that prove the most interesting to me, however, are those in which I gather evidence of, and make a connection with, human consciousness. Not only the energy of the deceased, but the mind, intellect, and awareness. These spirits are aware of their circumstances, aware of me, and have the ability to communicate directly and with purpose, often relaying specific messages.Known in paranormal circles as 'Intelligent haunts'.

I would like to take this opportunity to give an example, taken from my book 'What Dwells Within - a study of spirit attachment'. This case remains as fresh in my mind as if it were yesterday and it involves a doll we now call Delores.

Dolores came to us for study in 2009. She originally kept watch over a tiny curiosity shop in Evesham. Her owner Kathy had kept her sitting on a shelf to help oversee the day-to-day dealings of the shop. Kathy had never intended to sell her, although many people had asked if she was for sale. She just felt that the doll belonged in the shop.

Kathy had taken out a lease on the shop 18 months prior to our visit and explained to us that whilst clearing space in the back storage room she had found a few dolls and toys boxed up. The shop had previously been a toyshop for over forty years. She explained that she had split everything that she found between the three local charity shops, but something about this particular doll caught her attention and she couldn’t bear to part with her. Kathy found a spot for Dolores (at that time known as Sally) next to the shop’s entrance. She even placed a notice card on her lap, which read, “Welcome to our shop, pat my head for luck.” Kathy thought it to be a cute gimmick, and of course had no idea what may ensue as a result.

Over the course of three or four weeks following the shops opening, Kathy began experiencing chronic migraines. Naturally, she initially equated this with the stress of opening a new business. It was only when disturbing nightmares began to follow that Kathy started to worry. She explained to us that initially she had a psychic medium visit to bless the shop as she felt that maybe there

was some residual energy left over from the previous tenants. The building itself was built in the 15th century and must have seen its fair share of high emotion. She told us that after this first blessing things settled for a few days. Then one morning when she opened up, Kathy noticed that ‘Sally’ was facing in the opposite direction. She assumed that she had brushed past her on the way out of the shop the night before and spun her without noticing. However, she continued to find the doll facing the opposite way morning after morning. Kathy started to get nervous being in the shop on her own, especially as she had now started to feel that someone was often standing next to her when she was positioned behind the counter.

On one occasion she reported to us that the till had opened and two one-pound coins had ‘jumped’ out of the drawer and landed at her feet. This was the last straw for her, and she called in a local paranormal team to check out the building. They spent three afternoons with her and each time their evidence proved inconclusive.

Unsure where to turn next Kathy tried to ignore things until five weeks later, when something happened that led her to contact us. One of her customers made a comment in passing that seemed to ring true to her. An elderly woman who had never been in the shop before remarked, “You know she doesn’t like being there don’t you?” Kathy dismissed the statement and the old lady said no more, but her words played in Kathy’s mind, and she moved the doll next to the till. Alas, this made things significantly worse. Kathy talked of more coins being found on the floor around the till, and of the receipt roll going crazy and churning out receipt after receipt! Kathy also reported that pens flew out of her pen pot on one occasion. This really scared her, as she was standing close by at the time.

She asked a local vicar to visit the shop and perform a short blessing. She hung a cross behind the counter and took to wearing her own silver crucifix – none of which seemed to make a difference. (In cases where there is no demonic or dark presence, we have found that taking this kind of action rarely has any effect. We believe light energies, or once human souls, are not repelled by religion and its symbolism. Of course there are exceptions to this rule.)

We set up our equipment in the shop one Friday evening and waited in the hope that we might capture something. Just before 1:30 AM we heard a sound coming from over by the counter. We moved slowly towards the till, but nothing was being picked up by any of our equipment. As I approached the counter, I placed the EMF meter down, and asked if someone was with us. After a few quick flashes (indicating a strong fluctuation in the electromagnetic field around us), there was nothing. Then as we were all about to retake our seats the till began to ‘beep’, as if someone was pressing the keys. Kathy was frozen with fear. At this point

Hazel (our psychic medium) began to recite a short prayer in the hope that the activity would cease. The till continued to ‘beep’. Hazel wrote ‘STOP’ on a piece of paper and placed it next to the till, and silence followed. I had never before witnessed the effect of written requests on spirit activity, and Hazel later explained to me that occasionally spoken words often get lost in the atmosphere, especially if there is high emotion involved. This is often why asking spirits to show themselves, or to stop, will have no effect. The session ended just before 2 AM, and Kathy decided that she would rather not take part in any further investigations.

The following night we repeated the process, and this time a young woman came forward to Hazel following a request for communication via pendulum. Hazel kept her stare firmly fixed on the counter behind me as she spoke aloud. After just over 20 minutes of communication, we had noted that the presence was that of a woman in her late twenties named Dolores. She referred to herself initially as Lori. Hazel asked for clarification, which is when her true name was presented.

Following that final session in the shop, it was agreed that we would bring Dolores back with us for further work. Kathy has since reported that the atmosphere in her shop has lifted, and she no longer experiences anything out of the ordinary. Dolores remains an ongoing challenge, as she is known to retreat from questioning for prolonged periods, meaning that building a full picture of her life is difficult. For now, she remains with us.

Each case I work on, I enter into with an open mind; and it seems I am continuously learning. I am sure that the paranormal world will never reveal all of its mysteries to us. Why would it, and why would we want to know? Surely the greatest thing about life in the physical realm is the intrigue and mystery of what’s to come. For me, seeking ongoing evidence is now my calling and the path that I am destined to follow.